


You can run away with me anytime you want

by Wanderingcourier



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Human, F/F, Fireworks, Summer Romance, inappropriate gardening technique, not like that get your mind out of the gutter, zucchini related mistakes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-13
Updated: 2018-01-13
Packaged: 2019-03-04 02:24:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,401
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13354512
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wanderingcourier/pseuds/Wanderingcourier
Summary: A new neighbor moves in, Amethyst falls over a fence, stars are gazed at, makeouts are had, and everything turns out alright. Overall, it's a pretty good summer.





	You can run away with me anytime you want

When the new neighbors moved in, Amethyst couldn’t help but notice her. 

Well, she’d noticed the dog first. Cute lil’ orange pup, tail wagging and tongue out. That dog had brought a grin to her face the moment she saw it rounding the corner with a zucchini, or maybe a cucumber in its mouth, running up to her and depositing it at Amethyst's feet like some grand prize. Amethyst had laughed out loud, picking up the (definitely) zucchini and giving the pup a hearty pat on the head.

Then she’d charged around the corner, huffing as she ran.

“Pumpkin!” The girl yelled, skidding to a stop on bare feet. “Don’t just  _ run off _ like that, silly dog--” She looked up, and she and Amethyst locked eyes. “Oh! Hi, I’m sorry, I’m Peridot, I think we’re neighbors…?” Oh no.  _ Oh no. _

_ She was so cute! _

Peridot kneeled down to gather up the dog, which was good because Amethyst needed some time to restart her brain. Peridot was wearing these adorable watermelon-patterned shorts, and  _ christ _ her thighs--! Amethyst kept her eyes on Peridot’s face, which was at least somewhat more acceptable to stare at. The round glasses were a cute look on her.

“Yeah, yeah-- you guys just moved in, right? I saw the trucks last week. I think I met your… sister…?” Amethyst trailed off, not sure who the growly girl with the eyepatch had actually been. 

Peridot made a face and stuck out her tongue. 

“I apologize for whatever Sarah said or did. It’s nice to meet you, uhm--”

“Amethyst! Sorry I didn’t introduce myself earlier.”

Peridot smiled, a little crookedly. 

“Well, it’ nice to meet you. I’ll see you around! You can keep the zucchini. You should probably wash it, though.” Peridot added, standing up. Pumpkin licked her hand, and Peridot smiled fondly down at the dog. 

“Yeah,” Amethyst said, “See you around.”

 

* * *

 

“Jaaaaasppeeeeerr,” Amethyst whined, “the new neighbor is hot!”

“Didn’t know you liked eyepatches.” Jasper deadpanned, her eyes on her book. Amethyst hadn’t even known that people actually _ read  _ those stupid cold war spy books until she’d moved in with her estranged sister.

“No,” Amethyst said, rolling her eyes, “she has a hot sister! And a cute dog!”

“Is that where that spaniel lives? Nice dog. Gave me a zucchini.”

“Me too, actually. Anyways, this is a  _ crisis! _ ” Amethyst declared gravely. 

“How so?” Jasper asked, flipping a page in her book.

“‘Cause I wanna bone her! And I’m gonna see her, like, every day ‘til school starts again! How is this not a crisis!”

“You are nineteen years old. I’m sure you can muster up the will to ask her on a date.” Jasper said plainly. 

Amethyst plopped down on the couch.

“Jasper, I feel like you aren’t taking my girl emergency seriously.”

“What gives you that impression.” Jasper said, raising an eyebrow. Amethyst gently kicked her. Jasper rolled her eyes. 

“Just go talk to her tomorrow. I can usually hear that dog out there, she’s probably there with ‘em.”

“So, what, I should go creep on her over the fence?” Amethyst asked.

“Make conversation with her about her weird vegetable bearing dog or something and let me read my book in peace.” 

Amethyst made a  _ hmmph  _ noise, but found herself smiling anyways.

“Maybe I will. You want anything from the fridge?” She called as she got up. It was too damn hot, and needed a soda. Maybe a popsicle. 

Jasper shook her head, and Amethyst left her sister in peace.

 

* * *

 

A couple days later, Amethyst was considering the best way to blow up an old toilet she had found without getting the cops called  or bringing down Jasper’s wrath upon her. Firecrackers obviously wouldn’t be strong enough, but she might actually burn down her house if she tried to stuff the thing full of actual fireworks. Maybe Bismuth would help her haul it to a field later?

Oh, hey, there was that dog again, barking up a storm. Jasper’s advice floated through her head, and, throwing caution to the wind, Amethyst hauled herself up onto one of the lower horizontal beams of the fence, so that she was hanging halfway over the top. Pumpkin ran to greet her, and Amethyst dangled one arm down for the dog to sniff.

Then she looked up and. Peridot was gardening, kneeled down in the dirt and tugging up small plants with a spade. 

In a bikini. 

_ Fuck. _

She glanced up as Pumpkin stopped barking, and Amethyst felt her whole face heat up. 

“Hey,” She said, as if she wasn’t staring at her over a fence. “I heard your dog.” 

Peridot laughed and stood up, brushing dirt off of her knees. Amethyst made a valiant effort at not starting. Peridot walked over and crouched to pet Pumpkin, who sat down and panted happily.  

“Yeah, he hates it when I weed the garden. I think he’s scared of the hand spade. Why is that?” She directed the last bit at the dog as she scratched behind his ears. 

“Watcha growin’?” Amethyst asked, considering whether leaning down to pat the dog more would make her overbalance. 

“Y’know, corn, tomatoes, greenbeans.” Peridot shrugged. Amethyst glanced back at the garden patch.

“And zucchini?” She asked. Peridot’s eyebrows furrowed. 

“Yeah, there’s some zucchini growing. I didn’t plant it, I think some must have just gotten left over from the last owners. It’s sort of a pain, but no use wasting a plant, I always say!” She gave a nasal little laugh that shouldn’t have made Amethyst blush. 

“Is it just you that takes care of the garden?” Amethyst asked, trying to not make a total ass of herself. 

“Yeah, my sister doesn't like gardening. She’ll probably tear it up once I go back to school.”

Amethyst’s ears perked up at that.

“Oh, where do you go?” 

“I go to Empire U, for agricultural studies. Why, do you go to school around here?” Peridot asked, tilting her head a bit.

“I go to Beach City College,” she replied, trying and failing to shrug casually while hanging over the side of a fence. Pumpkin yipped, and Amethyst leaned down a bit more to pet him--

And promptly flipped herself over the fence, tumbling down onto her back and narrowly avoiding squishing both Pumpkin and Peridot. 

“Oh--! Shit, are you okay!?” Peridot yelled from where she was now sitting, having stumbled back in the chaos. She scooted over to kneel at Amethyst’s side. 

Amethyst groaned and sat up. She looked at Peridot, then to the fascinatingly oblivious pumpkin, then back at Peridot. 

She started to giggle, and Peridot laughed with her.

* * *

 

 

They had chatted for a long while after that.

Peridot and her sister were from a farm town in Illinois, but Peridot’s sister had just gotten a job in Beach City, and it was closer to Peridot’s school anyways. Pumpkin was indeed a spaniel, a gift from Peridot’s ex.

Amethyst had boggled at that-- who got their girlfriend a dog when they didn’t even live together? Peridot had gotten very quiet at that, so Amethyst had changed the subject.   

Eventually, the sun started to dip and Peridot’s sister poked her head out the door to tell them to quiet down. Amethyst had climbed back over the fence, promising to see Peridot another day. 

That brought them to today, standing in a field. Jasper had vehemently vetoed the toilet, so Amethyst decided on an old-furniture bonfire instead. Bismuth had indeed given a lift and an old cabinet, which Amethyst had demolished with an axe hours beforehand. 

“Are you sure this is safe?” Peridot asked, clad in a tank top and shorts, standing a healthy distance away from the pile of splintered wood. 

“I do this all the time! Old furniture goes up really well. I remember when we chopped up an old playset, that thing went up like dry newspaper!” Amethyst exclaimed as she piled rocks in a ring along the intended fire pit. “Bis said there wasn’t any varnish or anything on it, so we  _ probably  _ won’t get cancer.”

“What do you mean,  _ probably? _ ”

Amethyst grinned and exaggeratedly rolled her eyes.

“Aw, c’mon. A little cancer never hurt anybody! You’re out in the sun all day anyways, you’re pretty much bound to get it.”

Peridot pouted and crossed her arms. 

“It’s too hot to wear clothes while I garden. I’m just being sensible.”

Amethyst bit back a comment about being  _ too hot _ \-- she wasn’t sure if they were, y’know. There yet. But hey, now they were here! Alone, with a (semi) romantic fire. Amethyst had even brought marshmallows. She shoved the last rock into place and stood up, brushing dirt and grit off of her hands. The sun was just starting to set, now. She trotted to the car to fetch the lighter, the kindling, and of course the snacks. 

“Do you burn a lot of stuff out here?” Peridot called. 

“Nah, usually if I have a bonfire I’ll go to the beach. It’s supposed to be super crowded there tonight though, so I figured we could just use this field.” Really, Bismuth had gently suggested that they use the field in a sort of,  _ don’t you get me in trouble for contributing to your pyromania by setting the beach on fire _ way. Amethyst was happy to comply.

“Is the beach busy a lot? I haven’t been.”

“It depends on the day and where on the beach. I know some pretty good spots.” Amethyst carefully didn’t mention how many of those spots were  _ technically _ private property. It wasn’t like Rose and Greg cared anyways, unless they were doing something stupid, like burning massive amounts of shit.

“Can you take me sometime?” Peridot asked, and Amethyst hesitated in stuffing the kindling beneath the woodpile.

“That, uh, sort of sounds like a date, Per.” She laughed nervously, busying herself with the soon-to-be fire.

Peridot was quiet for a long moment. Shit. She’d been pretty sure Peridot was gay. In fact, she was already considering filing an official complaint, because she was pretty sure that it was illegal to wear a flannel like a crop top if you were straight, and Peridot had definitely done that (Amethyst hadn’t ogled her, no siree). 

“I, uhm, thought this  _ was _ a date?” Peridot squeaked, and Amethyst’s heart stopped for at least the third time that evening.

“Oh. Uh.” Amethyst started dumbly at her hands, still holding old newspapers. “Well, uhm, it is now? Is that…?”

“Is that a thing you’d be interested in?” Peridot ventured, “Like. Dating…?” 

_ Holy shit yes _ , Amethyst’s mind screamed. Somehow, she managed to barely keep her composure. 

“Yeah, man. Dating. That sounds pretty fantastic actually.” She said, like someone who didn’t have fireworks going off inside her brain. She crammed another handful of paper into the ple, and clicked the trigger of the fireplace lighter experimentally. 

She’d been right, the pile of furniture went up beautifully. She scooted back a few feet, and Peridot sat down beside her. 

“That went better than I thought it would,” said Peridot. Amethyst wondered what she was referring to. 

* * *

 

 

As promised, the second date was on the beach. That had played and splashed in the water all day, but as the sun started to set they found themselves sitting on a dock, feet dangling in the water and hands inches away from each other’s.

“I should have brought Pumpkin,” Peridot mused, and Amethyst laughed at the mental image. 

“He’d be tracking sand around your house for days, man! All that fur.”

“I’d wash him off with the hose! He likes playing with the hose.”

“I can’t even get all the sand out of  _ my _ fur, and I have thumbs to operate a shower with. He’d give your sister an aneurysm.” She shook her head wildly for emphasis, and Peridot laughed and shielded herself as salt and sand sprayed from Amethyst’s thick bleached hair. 

“Alright, alright, point taken, stop spraying me! Jerk,” She said, with no true malice. 

Amethyst pouted anyways.

“I’m just trying to save your dog from a sandy fate!” She declared, voice full of mock offense, “And your house. It’s awful, trying to get all the sand out of the shower afterwards.”

“That’s why I keep my hair short. Less sand vectors.”

Amethyst giggled, and Peridot blushed and grinned.

“Vectors, huh? You’re such a stem major.” Amethyst laughed, gently bumping her with her shoulder. Peridot looked down at her lap. Amethyst looked at the profile of Peridot’s face, drinking in the upturn of her nose and the way her eyelashes looked in the sunset.

“Are you worried about when we go back to school?” Peridot asked, and Amethyst tilted her head. 

“Are you?” Amethyst asked in return, already knowing the answer. 

“I don’t know, maybe?” Peridot said, brushing at some sand that was stuck to her thigh. “I mean, I know we aren’t super serious yet or anything, but…”

Amethyst kept her eyes on Peridot, silently encouraging her to go on. 

“I don’t know, I mean, you’re really cool and I haven’t dated--  _ wanted _ to date someone else in, well, a while, and I just, I just don’t want it to end yet?” Peridot hugged her legs to her chest, resting her chin on her knees. 

“I mean,” Amethyst began, faltering a bit, “I think you’re really cool too? And I think you’re cute and I want to get to know you, I mean, it’s not even  _ July _ . We have time to think about this. I dunno, I usually play this sort of stuff by ear, but maybe, maybe we just see where this goes? Figure out August stuff in August, y’know? Is that… Okay?” 

Peridot let her feet dangle over the side of the dock again, but she was still sort of… hunched? Small looking. 

Amethyst called out, “Hey.”

Peridot looked over, and Amethyst leaned forward to kiss her. 

It was really nice.

 

* * *

 

The fourth of July was, predictably, also spent on the beach. This time, Amethyst was actually allowed to be on the little stretch of beach that Rose and Greg actually owned, and Peridot had only  _ sort of _ side eyed her when Greg let them through the gate Amethyst had bypassed last time.

Peridot had been almost uncharacteristically shy around all the others, sticking close to Amethyst's side as they wandered from the volleyball net to the grill to the fire pit. Amethyst just held her hand and attempted to be loud enough for the both of them (and handily succeeded).

Peridot warmed up quickly, though-- Pearl mentioned transport phenomena or some other nebulous concept and Peridot jumped on it like a drowning man on a liferaft, sparking up conversation about molecular transport and scaling and Amethyst wandered off somewhere in the middle for another hotdog, but Peridot and Pearl both seemed to be having fun. Well. ‘Fun.’

Garnet gave her a inscrutable thumbs up, and Amethyst piled more mustard and relish onto her hot dog. 

And then it was ten minutes ‘til the fireworks went off, and there was some kind of goddamned conspiracy going on here, because  _ somehow  _ Peridot and Amethyst were the only two on the cliff by the lighthouse, waiting for the show. Usually the joint was packed (well, if you could call the Cool Kids and that anime kid a full crowd). Bismuth and Rose had both suggested that they head up and wait for the rest of the group to catch up, Amethyst was calling shenanigans.

And yet. Somehow the universe had afforded them privacy this Independence day, so Amethyst was ready to declare this the good sort of shenanigans, and that she had a good group of friends, even if their ages did widely differ. Maybe they just wanted her to mack on someone her own age, who knows. 

What mattered right now was that Peridot was sort of leaning her head on Amethyst’s shoulder, and she smelled like sunscreen and bonfire smoke, and Amethyst doubted she smelled much better.

Amethyst’s hand found Peridot’s, and they tangled loosely together. 

“You sure can’t see many stars around here,” Peridot murmured.

“”S what the fireworks are for,” Amethyst replied, “were there a lot of stars where you lived?”

“No,” Peridot said, “But you could drive a couple hours to where the stars were. It was amazing-- there were so many, you couldn’t see anywhere to fit even one more in.” She sighed longingly.

“I’d love to show it to you,” Peridot whispered, “You’ve shown me so many of, of your places, and it’s only been a month. I want to show the stuff that’s special to me.”

Amethyst squeezed her hand, unsure how to reply. Peridot scooted impossibly closer, nudging her head into the crook of Amethyst’s neck. 

“I really, really like you,” Peridot whispered, and Amethyst kissed her temple. 

“I really, really like you too.”

Peridot tilted her head up and kissed Amethyst’s nose, and Amethyst grinned widely. 

She’d’ve probably appreciated the fireworks more if Peridot’s tongue hadn’t been in her mouth, but hey, who was she to complain?

* * *

  
  


The summer flew by after that-- spent in days splashing at the beach, hanging out in each others back yards, sometimes to help Amethyst wreck some shit, sometimes to play with Pumpkin sometimes to help Peridot garden. 

There were trips to Funland and the boardwalk, nights spent by bonfires, and even a day where Peridot sheepishly turned up at Amethyst’s door with an armful of zucchini. They’d made enough zucchini bread to feed an army, and Amethyst had laughed when Pumpkin turned up at the door with yet another of the vegetables, just like the day they met.

But, all good things had to end, summer especially. Peridot and Amethyst sat on Amethyst’s back porch, eating popsicles and looking up into the sparsely-starred sky.

Peridot rested her head on Amethyst’s shoulder, and Amethyst slurped her popsicle directly in Peridot’s ear. Peridot half-heartedly elbowed her in the ribcage. Amethyst gave Peridot a sticky, grape flavored kiss. 

“I did the math,” Peridot said. “It’s a five hour trip each way.”

“Fuck that.” Amethyst snorted. “That sucks, man.”

Peridot gave her popsicle a mournful lick, turning so that she didn’t dribble on Amethyst.

“We’ve still got discord! And, y’know, our phones.” Amethyst said, trying to offer some sort of comfort. 

“I know,” Peridot mumbled, “I just, I get worried about long distance stuff, what if you find someone else--”

“Peri. You have met, like, all of my friends, and no one's gonna transfer to  _ Beach City _ of all places. Who am I gonna hook up with? They’re all, like thirty-five and I’m pretty sure Jasper is banging Pearl already anyways. Besides you’re-- you’re unforgettable, man! Irreplaceable. Irr _ peri _ placebale? No, wait--”

Peridot giggled, and Amethyst grinned. 

“Dork,” Peridot said around a mouthful of blue raspberry. 

“Your dork.” Amethyst said, pleased with herself.

They sat in companionable silence for a few minutes, bathed in orange-gold.

“You really think Pearl’s fucking Jasper?” Peridot asked quizzically, and Amethyst gave an exaggerated shudder. 

“I try not to think about it, dude.” At least Jasper seemed happier nowadays. It wasn't her business, she supposed.

Amethyst slid the last of her popsicle off of its stick and into her mouth, sucking on the ice.

“You packed yet?” She asked, and Peridot nodded. 

“Sarah can’t wait to get me out of the house, I think. I still have to pack my clothes, but all my room stuff is packed.”  

“Sarah is gonna lead a reign of terror over this neighborhood, isn’t she?”

“You’ll have to strike her down.” Peridot sighed dramatically.

Amethyst snorted, and Peridot finished off her popsicle, twiddling absentmindedly with the stick.

“You hear from your roommate yet?”

“Some psych major,” Peridot said, “She seems nice. Said she’s gonna bring a lot of books. Wanna hear my popsicle joke?”

“Hell yeah, I do.”

“What’s the best side of a house to put the porch on?”

“Fuck. The sunny side?”

Peridot giggled.

“No, the outside!” 

“Pffft, is that really what it says?” Amethyst asked, playfully grabbing for the stick.

“Yeah! It’s one of the better ones I’ve heard, actually.”

“That’s why I don’t believe you.” Amethyst grabbed for the stick gain, then switched tracks and prodded at Peridot’s sides. The effect was immediate, Peridot let out a yelp of a laugh and curled up defensively. 

Amethyst laughed too, kissing her and tasting blue raspberry. 

Summer was ending, but they were gonna be fine.

**Author's Note:**

> Goofy little amedot from a half remembered homestuck prompt. Knocked out in a couple days, unbeta'd and only sort of edited. Title is from "Summertime" by My Chemical Romance.
> 
> (Jasper reads exclusively James Patterson books, if you're wondering)


End file.
